Welcome to Endo the night. I'm Narri your guide on today's excursion down a
twisted path. Be careful not to get lost. Be it dark or light,
It's easy to lose your way. Are you ready, then let's begin.
The trophy hunter. My family has hunted for generations. It's who we
are. Some don't understand the need to hunt, especially when the endgame is
a nice head mount for the wall. How not everyone hunts out of the
necessity to eat. We hunters have heard every argument against what we do,
but we haven't let the naysayers deter us. It's our heritage and hunting serves
a role in the ecosystem. Any conservation agent will tell you that the money
earned through license sales and special hunt permits is used to help the greater population
of species. Selectively thinning the herd keeps any number of problems from becoming ecological
disasters. It's also a thrill I can't get any other way. That last
fact explains why I hunt the apex predators in an environment. Sure, anyone
can shoot easy prey. Not everyone can go head to head with another natural
born killer and win. Nothing matches the excitement of watching an animal that wants
to kill you submit to your will as you snuff out its life. I
realize not everyone who hears about my hunts will agree with me, or even
like me. I don't care if I'm liked. I have friends and family,
and no one else takes up space in my life or my head.
I'm not talking about my adventures to impress those who hate the idea of hunting.
I'm talking to the ones who do get it. You know if you
have the hunter's spirit coursing through you, and that's who I gravitate toward.
Now onto my reason for telling you this. For my most recent safari,
I went to one of my favorite spots on Earth. I found an abundance
of game there, but I made the trip with certain predators in mind.
I always tell new hunters to study their quarry before stepping foot on a hunt.
Find out how the animal thinks, what motivates it, where does it
like to hide, and where does it feel comfortable. The latter is important
because a relaxed animal isn't on guard and is easier to sneak up on.
When dealing with a dangerous animal, you always want to give yourself as many
advantages as you can If you know what makes your prey tick, you have
the upper hand in most cases. On my first day on the trail,
I almost had a beauty, but something spooked it. It happens, and
while disappointing, I couldn't let one failure distract me or mess with my concentration.
I knew where he hung out, and all I needed was patience.
At some point he'd make a mistake. It took until the third day of
tracking him, but he finally did make that mistake. It was a perfect
kill. For a second, he froze as though he sensed something was up,
but I remained patient, controlled my breathing, and eventually he relaxed and
went back to eating. By the time I was close enough to strike,
it was too late for him to run. I hadn't bagged one this night
in a long time. He was the epitome of what a hunter looks for.
Once I get home, I'll post photos of him after the kill so
you can have a sense of how big he was compared to me. As
impressed as I was with him, I was relieved I hunted for a trophy
and not meet because it would have been hard to pack him out. Instead,
I cut off his head and Cape stored them and went on my way.
Next, I traveled hundreds of miles for a chance of another of the
Big three game prizes. The terrain was tricky, and since my prey was
primarily nocturnal, it made the pursuit that much more difficult. He'd recently finished
to kill of his own, and he felt lazy and satisfied. I watched
the ease with which he killed, and while horrified at the sheer brutality,
part of me recognized the skill it took for him to succeed. This particular
specimen was an adept killer. Never, and I mean never, let your
guard down. I admit my nerves and excitement got the best of me,
and I was sloppy. Before I knew it, I was the hunted and
he was upon me. I didn't have time to think it was kill or
be killed, and for a few moments I wasn't sure who would come out
the winner. He knocked my weapon of choice to the ground when he first
sprang upon me, so I resorted to up close combat with my blade.
Obviously I won. I managed to salvage enough of him to make a nice
mount. But my taxidermist may demand extra because he has his work cut out
for him. No pun intended. I spent so much time pursuing that second
kill that I almost ran out of time to take down the third of my
desired animals. Yes, I had two amazing trophies already, but something was
missing. If I went home without the trifecta that my heart was set on.
Hunters and non hunters can relate to the disappointment felt when your long awaited
trip falls short of your expectations. I didn't want that to happen. The
clock kept ticking, and I knew I had to make use of every second
if I was going to return home happy. While stalking my last killing,
I experienced a feeling that many may not believe a hardened hunter like myself would
be capable of. Contrary to what some might think, I am soft hearted
about a good many things. Yes, I kill for fun, But have
you ever watched a nature show in which a predator kills another animal? Have
you ever wanted the cameraman to put down the damn camera and save the innocent
young or the defenses prey from certain destruction. I have. That's why I
only hunt predators. I will only take on an animal that is on equal
footing with me. We are peers, and he could kill me as certainly
as I can kill him. I detest the predation of innocence, and I
will fight to defend them whenever possible. I'm not a saint by any means,
but I have a heart, and I have a personal code of conduct
that I live by. It may or may not make sense to you,
but it's true. The reason why I tell you this is that my ethics
caused me to cast my safety aside. I could have allowed my third trophy
to distract himself while he attacked and innocent, and I could have struck him
at that moment and then walked away with my prize. I couldn't stand by,
however, and watch him brutalize another life, so I placed myself between
my prey and his prey. The shock on his face was intense, but
his hunger to kill me replaced his confusion. He bared his teeth and maneuvered
to find a weakness in me. We tangled, then separated, and circled
each other time after time. The violent dance took place for over an hour.
Both of us exhausted, and I barely missed a move on his part
that would certainly have led to my death. Then I saw an opening and
I took it. This kill was special, satisfying. I killed not only
to save myself, but to spare others. I relished watching the life drain
from his eyes as I dug my blade deeper and deeper into him. Now
my safari is over, However, I'll head home with my trophies as well
satisfaction. I fulfilled my hunting dream and I rid the earth of three top
predators, a serial killer, a terrorist, and a rapist. On my
flight back home to my planet, I'll toast my success. Thank you for
joining me for this episode of the Into the Night Anthology podcast. Written by
Caroline Giamanco, narrated by Nari Quak, Theme music by Nico Rodriguez, all
other original music, sound design and editing by Omenhawk Studios. You can find
our links in the show notes. Into the Night is on your favorite podcatcher,
so make sure to like, subscribe and leave a five star review to
help other excursionists to join us. I'll see you next time, and remember,
whether in the shadows or in the daylight, all twisted paths lead you
into the night, into the Night Anthology is a creative typo entertainment production.
Microphones and Monsters is a Cthulhu D and D actual play with a balance of
horror, mystery, and comedy. Our story begins in the nineteen twenties Magitech
nouir setting. We follow the story of Alistair. That power is very much
something that I need, and I don't want that to stop. Victor.
I don't think I want to help you and Julian it's burning what happened here
can't see the light of day as they come face to face with Eldriche horrors.
I don't think you could ever stop me, and try not to fall
into madness. Go to Microphonesomonsters dot com or listen wherever podcasts are found.